TruPay Workplace Policies Digest

Workplace Policies

Workplace policies should establish expectations that employers have for employee behavior. They should clearly communication to employees how they are expected to act and perform their duties. A primary reason policies are needed is to create some level of uniformity in employee rights and responsibilities.

Without clear policy direction, employees tend to have varying personal standards. Policies can prevent internal conflict in situations where employee discretion leads to different interpretations of proper conduct. In short, because they instill norms and values, policies are critical in shaping the overall culture of the workplace.

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ARTICLES

How to Talk to an Employee About Hygiene

You’re at your desk, removing your jacket as the early afternoon sunshine pours into your office, when several employees knock on your door, requesting a brief meeting. You invite them in. The last to enter slowly shuts the door while peaking back at a corner cubicle.

9 Ways to Keep Your Office Green

Recycling is not a new concept, but the ways in which we can recycle are increasing faster than ever. Everything from printer toner to food waste can now be properly reused, recycled, or composted. Recycling in the office just takes a little extra encouragement and dedication.

Company Email Policy and Employee Emails

Are you allowed to look through an employee's email while they are still employed? The short answer is yes, you can monitor employee email. As a general rule, employees should not have an expectation of privacy when using company computers or email accounts. That said, the law is not perfectly cut and dry, so you should have both alegitimate business reason for doing soand a policy that puts employees on notice that you do – or could – review their email.

Political Expression in the Workplace

Some managers have been continually talking about politics in the office, not taking into consideration anyone else's political backgrounds and beliefs. It gets offensive at times, but employees are afraid to say anything. How should this can be handled?

Finding the Dress Code That’s Right for Your Organization

What kind of dress code should you have? The answer to that question may come down to the kind of company culture you have or want to have. There’s no universally-applicable dress code for successful businesses. And what works fabulously in one office might prove distracting in the next. Some employers avoid restrictive appearance policies because they can negatively affect morale and may drive away impressive job candidates.

The DOs and DON'Ts of Employee Social Media Policy

Chances are most of your employees are on social media, and some of them may be using their private accounts to say things about their employment. Frustrated employees might even be complaining about their working conditions – or about you.

Should You Ban Workplace Romances?

Depending on the nature of the relationship, how you handle workplace romances is mostly up to your organization’s preference or policy. If the employees do not report to one another and are engaged in a mutually consenting relationship, no action may be needed. Some organizations prefer to ban office dating, but I find this difficult or impossible to enforce and often not worth the time and effort

4 Different Ways to Manage Social Media in the Workplace

Social media’s impact on employers and employees has clearly affected the workplace. Most executives agree that reputational risk and social networking is a boardroom issue. No longer a question of “if” or “when,” it has been a matter of how employers can best respond to this quickly emerging and constantly changing issue that can greatly affect employee productivity and how business gets done.

Can You Make Employees Pay for Damaged Company Property?

Many employers have real concerns about avoidable expenses resulting from employee damage to company property. Some employers have specific policies requiring employees to reimburse for the damages often in the form of payroll deductions or a deduction from the employee's final paycheck. However, a common question is whether or not such a workplace policy is appropriate.